Change: How out of touch with America is the political left? It's convinced it has the authority to reign. But this country was founded on the idea that the governing was to be done by representatives, not rulers.

Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes tells the Daily Beast that President Obama "has a different belief system than most Americans." Nothing new there, but true nonetheless. Traditions of limited government, individual liberty and free markets are foreign to this president. This is a man who said he wanted to transform America and went about doing so as soon as he took office.

The stinging rebuke he suffered two weeks ago at the midterm elections doesn't mean Obama will slow down. He's being encouraged to stay on his big-government agenda by allies including John Podesta, the Clinton chief of staff who ran Obama's transition team.

Podesta, who now heads a "progressive" think tank that carries heavy weight with the White House, told the media this week that the former community organizer still has an opportunity to "push the country to a better place."

Podesta tried to qualify his remarks, saying Obama must work under the "constraint" of law and the "restraint" of wisdom.

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Former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s chief of staff John Podesta, now the head of the Center for American Progress, called on President Obama to push forward with his agenda using federal agencies and executive branch power Tuesday, even though Democrats were dealt a blow in the recent midterm elections. Podesta said the American people want the president to move forward with his agenda.

&#8220;I think most of the conversation since the election has been about how President Obama adjusts to the new situation on Capitol Hill,&#8221; Podesta said. &#8220;While that&#8217;s an important conversation, it simply ignores the president&#8217;s ability to use all levels of his power and authority to move the country forward.&#8221;

Citing his experience in Clinton&#8217;s White House after the GOP House takeover of 1994, Podesta said Obama&#8217;s administration &#8220;can and should take&#8221; the specific measures detailed in a report released by the Center for American Progress,

&#8220;One of the best ways for the Obama administration to achieve results of that nature, in the short term, is through substantial executive authority to make and implement policy,&#8221; Podesta said. &#8220;As noted in the Constitution and the laws of the United States give the president the ability and the responsibility to act as the chief executive using authorities granted to all presidents such as executive orders, rule-makings, agency management and public-private partnerships.&#8221;

Even though he said that he disagreed with why former President George W. Bush went about using them, he defended how the former president used executive actions in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

Former President Bill Clinton&#8217;s chief of staff John Podesta, now the head of the Center for American Progress, called on President Obama to push forward with his agenda using federal agencies and executive branch power Tuesday, even though Democrats were dealt a blow in the recent midterm elections. Podesta said the American people want the president to move forward with his agenda.

&#8220;I think most of the conversation since the election has been about how President Obama adjusts to the new situation on Capitol Hill,&#8221; Podesta said. &#8220;While that&#8217;s an important conversation, it simply ignores the president&#8217;s ability to use all levels of his power and authority to move the country forward.&#8221;

Citing his experience in Clinton&#8217;s White House after the GOP House takeover of 1994, Podesta said Obama&#8217;s administration &#8220;can and should take&#8221; the specific measures detailed in a report released by the Center for American Progress, utilizing all the tools at its disposal to circumvent Congress in a way to keep his agenda moving forward."

Was there a single Executive Decision Bush made that wasn't threatened and obstructed by Democrats? A single Appointment? A single Recess Appointment. What people does Obama have on his side outside the Locker Room? Imaginary People? He is a dangerous Person.

Was there a single Executive Decision Bush made that wasn't threatened and obstructed by Democrats? A single Appointment? A single Recess Appointment. What people does Obama have on his side outside the Locker Room? Imaginary People? He is a dangerous Person.

Click to expand...

The OP chides Democrats because one of them is urging President Obama to go forward with his programs in spite of the recent mid-term elections, which would seem to indicate a surge of public opinion against such action by President Obama. So, it would seem, that conservatives feel that President Obama should back off because public opinion has swung against him.

And now here you come, citing the fact that Bush had opposition to his programs as well (which, of course, he did) and conveniently leaving out that Bush went right ahead anyway. Surely no one can accuse Bush of having been shy about going forward with his agenda in spite of the fact that there was opposition to much of it. Remember - the Decider?

Unless I am missing something here, you might want to leave Bush out of the picture when arguing that Obama is a "dangerous person" because he is being advised to go ahead in spite of public opinion to the contrary.

Was there a single Executive Decision Bush made that wasn't threatened and obstructed by Democrats? A single Appointment? A single Recess Appointment. What people does Obama have on his side outside the Locker Room? Imaginary People? He is a dangerous Person.

Click to expand...

The OP chides Democrats because one of them is urging President Obama to go forward with his programs in spite of the recent mid-term elections, which would seem to indicate a surge of public opinion against such action by President Obama. So, it would seem, that conservatives feel that President Obama should back off because public opinion has swung against him.

And now here you come, citing the fact that Bush had opposition to his programs as well (which, of course, he did) and conveniently leaving out that Bush went right ahead anyway. Surely no one can accuse Bush of having been shy about going forward with his agenda in spite of the fact that there was opposition to much of it. Remember - the Decider?

Unless I am missing something here, you might want to leave Bush out of the picture when arguing that Obama is a "dangerous person" because he is being advised to go ahead in spite of public opinion to the contrary.

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